rbta lighting

philosophile

New member
I was interested in getting a RBTA, but I wasn't sure if I had enough light... I've got a 30 gal with two T5 36 watt bulbs, one ATI blue plus actinic, and one 10k. Is this enough? I was told I would probably need to upgrade to a 4 lamp t5 rig, otherwise it would be a coinflip to whether they survived or not.
 
The wattage is 39 watts rather than 36 I expect. I would imagine it's possible to successfully keep a RBTA directly under two t-5 ho, assuming you have individual reflectors and good quality bulbs in the right spectrum. ATI blue plus has high PAR and generally 10000K bulbs have pretty high PAR, more with good quality brands. Also, the bulbs need to be less than 1 year old, and I'd say preferably less than 10 months old. The anemone would need to be located directly under the bulbs and probably no more than a foot away. If this is a 30 gallon long, that shouldn't be hard, as they are shallow tanks. If I were you, I would begin planning for an upgrade to a 4-bulb as that will give you considerably more flexibility as far as placement. Again, the fixture needs to have individual reflectors, preferably fans (as light output is increased when the bulbs are cooled) and good quality bulbs. I suggest you read the t-5 thread with expert The Grim Reefer on the "Lighting and Equipment" forum to get info. on what bulbs and fixtures are best.
 
Thanks for the info. Yeah, I've been thinking of going to 4 bulb now. After an RO/DI filter, I think that'll be might next big upgrade. I'm tired of hauling water from the water store. heh.
 
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